108 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



^Domestic department. 



Care of Preserves, &c. — As tlie woatlier be- 

 comes -warm in spring, preserves, sauces, jellies, &c., 

 are liable to become sour, if not attended to, unless 

 they are composed of a large amount of sugar or 

 other pi-cscrvativc. By scalding preserves, &c., occa- 

 sionally, after the weather becomes -vvarm, and set- 

 ting them in a cool place, much may be done to 

 continue them in a good condition. In some cases, it 

 may be necessary to add more sugar in order to keep 

 conserved prcpai-ations into summer. 



In scalding them, great care should be taken to 

 cover them closely before they cool, and in all cases 

 expose them as little as possible to the air. Mould 

 is considered a vegetable substance, of a low or im- 

 perfect order, which is propagated by fine seeds float- 

 ing in the atmosphere, that readily vegetate in 

 numerous substances that have a strong tendency 

 to decay, as in various preparations of fruit, bread, 

 cheese, pumpkin, &c., &c. Heating substances that 

 are liable to mould, destroys the seeds of mould, and 

 close covering of vessels prevents their admission. 



Education op the Young for Agricultural Pur- 

 BuiTS. — Where an ardent thirst is begotten, in the 

 minds of youth, to become thoroughly prepared for 

 an honorable and useful discharge of the active 

 duties which make up the sum of a happy life, the 

 first great step is taken towards the accomplishment 

 of so glorious an end. We turn our attention to 

 parents, the natural guardians of the young, pos- 

 sessing power to mould and fashion the tender mind, 

 and lead and direct aright the early inclinations as 

 they are first developed. To parents we appeal, 

 assured their influence will be exerted to lead the 

 children under their care to contract an attachment 

 to the employment in which they are engaged. Let 

 the son be thoroughly instructed in every branch of 

 labor to be performed upon a farm, and its manage- 

 ment in general, and no doubt, with proper opportu- 

 nities for instruction from suitable books and well- 

 regulated schools, he will fall in love Avith the 

 science, and delight in the practice of agriculture. 

 In the successful prosecution of this highly-honored 

 and peaceful pursuit, female efforts and influence are 

 indisi^ensable to lead to auspicious results. I am 

 aware that some persons, of nearsighted and con- 

 tracted views, have expressed the opinion that the 

 female mind ought to be occupied altogether in the 

 contemplation of unreal things, of ideas that float in 

 a feverish or excited imagination, and of outward 

 accomplishments, and be content to dwell upon the 

 surface of the subjects, without an attempt to dig in 

 the mine of knowledge. No one honored with the 

 title of mother can for a moment listen to any such 

 suggestion, but will, I am sure, put forth their 

 Utmost exertion for the fullest expansion and en- 

 largement of the intellectual and moral capabilities 

 of their daughters, as their sons. — Mr. Ives's Address 

 before tlie Jefferson County {N. F.) Agricultural Society. 



Egg Cream. — Take the yolk of an egg, with a 

 dessert-spoonful of cream or new milk, and, if con- 

 venient, add two drops of oil of cinnamon : this will 

 form a mixture sufficient to serve three people to 

 mix with their tea ; for cream being chiefly the oil 



of the millc, and the yolk the most nutritive part of 

 the egg, they are both lubricating and nourishing. 

 The oil of cinnamon is cordial and tonic. 



Bojis' Department. 



Is the Bee the Pioneer of Civilization? — The 

 author of A Tour on the Prairies, says, the Indians re- 

 gard the bee as the harbinger of the white man, as the 

 buffalo is of the red, and say, that in proportion as the 

 bee advances, the Indian and buffalo retire. The wild 

 bee is said to be seldom met with at any groat dis- 

 tance from the frontier. When the honey-bee first 

 crossed the Mississippi, the Indians, with surprise, 

 found the hollow trees of their forests suddenly 

 teeming with honey ; and nothing can exceed the 

 greedy relish with which they banqueted for the first 

 time upon this unbought luxury of the wilderness-. 

 At present, the honey-bee swarms in myriads in the 

 noble groves and forests that skirt and intersect the 

 prairies, and extend along the alluvial bottoms of the 

 rivers. 



The Way Domestic Animals collect their 

 Food. — The horse, when feeding on natural herb- 

 age, grasps the blade Avith his lips, by Avhich it is 

 conducted between the incisors, or front teeth. 

 These he employs for the double purpose of holding 

 and detaching the grass, the latter action being 

 assisted by a twitch of the head. The ox vises the 

 tongue to collect his food. That organ being so 

 directed as to encircle a small bundle of grass, which 

 is placed by it between the incisor teeth, and an 

 elastic pad opposite to them in the upper jaw, — be- 

 tween these the herbage is pressed and partly cut, 

 its complete severance being effected by tearing. 

 The sheep gathers his food in a similar manner as 

 the horse, but is enabled to bring his cutting teeth 

 much nearer to the roots of the plants, in conse- 

 quence of the upper lip being partially cleft. For 

 his upper lip is thin, and is susceptible of considerable 

 mobility ; while that of the ox is thick, hairless, 

 with a very limited action. — American Agricultu- 

 rist. 



fjealtl). 



Wet Feet. — In endeavoring to preserve health, 

 there is no subject of more importance than that 

 of keeping the feet dry. Wet feet affect the Avhole 

 system, even the head. The feet may be cold, 

 almost to freezing, without injury ; but dami?, and 

 more esi^ecially wet feet, for one who is not in con- 

 stant exercise, have a most destructive effect on 

 health ; and as a person values this inestimable 

 blessing, he should cautiously guard against any 

 thing that is liable to destroy it. 



Those who are exposed to water and mud. so com- 

 mon at this season, should be provided with stout 

 and tight boots or shoes, and they should be fre- 

 quently stuffed with some water-proof composition. 

 Some persons use neat's foot oil, others castor oiL 

 Tar mixed with oil or tallow is good, but it has an un- 

 pleasant smell. Linseed oil is also used. A simple 

 and convenient preparation, which we generally use, 

 with excellent success, is one part of beeswax and 

 two parts of beefs tallow. 



